By: Thomas Hardy
I really like Thomas Hardy's novels but I find that it's more of a treat to listen rather than read them. I listened to the BBC audio version (15 1/2 hours) of Jude The Obscure and, not having read it or seen a film version, was surprised by the contemporary feeling of his discussions of the themes of class, sex, love, marriage, morality, religion. Really wonderful, complex characters, especially Sue Bridehead, an "almost" feminist of her time. (It was written in 1895 and most Victorians must have been shocked by the book.) (Fiction) 07/12/09
